Apart from organisational supervision of the activities of the Council each Presidency establishes certain goals and assumptions for itself. It pursues their achievement during the six-month period of presiding over the European Union. It is good to compare and analyse the priorities of previous Presidencies in the field of health, so as to observe cohesion and the consequences of the activities of issues crucial in the perspective of the European Union. The issues discussed most often include the ability of efficient response to new health risks, the development of a common view on cross-border cooperation in the field of health, the adoption of a pharmaceutical package and the propagation of the idea of e-health.